Technological breakthroughs in growth control of silicon carbide for high power electronic devices

Abstract

Technological breakthroughs in growth control of SiC are reviewed. Step-controlled epitaxy by using off-axis SiC {0001} substrates to grow high-quality epitaxial layer is explained in detail. The introduction of substrate off-angles brings step-flow growth, which easily makes polytype replication of SiC at rather low temperatures. Off-angle dependence, rate-determining processes, and temperature dependence of growth rate are discussed. Prediction, whether step-flow growth or two-dimensional nucleation does occur, is given as a function of off-angle, growth temperature, and growth rate. Optical and electrical properties of undoped epitaxial layers are characterized. Impurity doping during the growth is explained. Recent progresses in peripheral technologies for realization of power electronic devices, such as bulk growth, epitaxial growth, ion implantation. MOS interface, ohmic contacts, are introduced. Finally application to high-power electronic devices is briefly described.